Bridge with Sunlight, possibly Coblenz
- Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner
- Date: c.1841–5
- Medium: Graphite and watercolour on paper
- Dimensions: support: 183 x 229 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the "Bridge with Sunlight, possibly Coblenz" by Joseph Mallord William Turner. Painted around 1841–45, this graphite and watercolour on paper sketch captures a moment of light on a bridge over a river – likely the Rhine near Coblenz. Turner, who later became famous for his sweeping seascapes, already showed his obsession with light here. The piece is small – just 183 by 229 mm – but it packs a punch. Notice how the thin strokes of graphite lay a skeletal structure for the bridge, while the washes of watercolour hint at a hazy glow. Turner was experimenting with how water reflects sunlight, and you can see the subtle shift from cool blues to warm golds. The drawing was part of the Turner Bequest that the nation accepted in 1856, so it’s one of the first pieces to be formally protected as part of the national collection. It's a neat window into how Turner was developing his signature atmospheric style, and it’s a quick but powerful glimpse into his early studies of light and landscape.
See it in person
Bridge with Sunlight, possibly Coblenz is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
